Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

(Saturn)

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is a 2D action-adventure game developed and published by Konami for the PlayStation in 1997. Its Japanese title is Akumajō Dracula X: Gekka no Yasōkyoku (悪魔城ドラキュラＸ月下の夜想曲, lit. "Demon Castle Dracula X: Nocturne in the Moonlight"). It is the 13th installment of the Castlevania series, and is a direct sequel to Japanese exclusive Akumajou Dracula X: Chi no Rondo for the NEC PC Engine.

Symphony of the Night was a massive critical success, and still maintains a large internet fanbase as well as status as a collector's item. It is considered by many to be the best of the Castlevania series, particularly those who prefer the style of non-linear gameplay it introduced (sometimes called 'Metroidvania' or 'Castleroid' because of the similarity to the gameplay in the Metroid series) over the stage-based platforming action of the earlier games. It is most notable for demonstrating the continued popularity of 2D games during the fifth generation of video game consoles (the 32-bit era, which saw rapid advancements in 3D gaming).<ref>The History of Castlevania. gamespot.com. Retrieved on 2006-05-06.</ref>

Symphony of the Night was an important milestone in the development of the Castlevania series. It steered the series away from the standard level-by-level platforming formula of older titles, and introduced a new style of open-ended gameplay mixed with RPG-like elements that would be emulated by most of its successors. The development of these features can be attributed to Koji Igarashi, the game's director, and one of the team's newest members. Igarashi, a noted fan of 2D games,<ref>Koji Igarashi On Mastering Castlevania. gamasutra.com. Retrieved on 2006-05-06.</ref> was instrumental in refining the game's control scheme, and also in legitimizing Castlevania canon, as he attempted to tie up several loose ends in the series' timeline during Symphony of the Night.<ref>The Castlevania Storyline. The Castlevania Dungeon. Retrieved on 2006-05-06.</ref> Other notable staff include character designer Ayami Kojima and composer Michiru Yamane.

In 1998, Symphony of the Night was ported to the Sega Saturn as a Japan-exclusive game containing some extra features. In 2006, Konami announced an Xbox 360 port of the PlayStation version of Symphony of the Night, to be distributed via the Xbox Live Arcade, the port is being handled by Backbone Entertainment[1]. It is planned for release sometime in the Winter season of 2006, which could potentially extend into early 2007.<ref>Luke Smith (August 3, 2006). Symphony of the Night Heads to XBLA. 1UP.com. Retrieved on 13 September, 2006.</ref>

[edit] Gameplay

Gameplay in Symphony of the Night adheres to the standard precepts of 2D platforming (such as gravity). Alucard's most basic abilities allow him to move in either direction, attack, and jump. As he explores the castle, new abilities, such as the power to transform into a bat, become available.

Exploring the castle itself is an open-ended process, and perhaps the biggest departure gameplay-wise from past Castlevania titles. In Symphony of the Night, the player is allowed to explore many of the castle's side areas (areas that do not lead directly to the game's end), and may at times have to backtrack through areas after new powers become available. RPG growth elements introduced into the game also encourage exploration by boosting Alucard's attributes. For example - weapons, items, and permanent power ups are a common find in areas only accessible through special abilities (such as double-jumping). These areas are scattered all over the castle, and often impossible to reach when first encountered.

Open-ended gameplay proved to be one of the most acclaimed aspects of Symphony of the Night. The gaming press often draws comparisons between the gameplay of Symphony of the Night and the popular Super Metroid, which is how the terms "castleroid" and "metroidvania" came about (as a portmanteau of Castlevania and Metroid).

[edit] Control scheme

Symphony of the Night boasts very liberal controls compared to those of its predecessors. Amongst other things, the ability to double-jump and change direction in mid-air (as many times as the player wishes) are especially powerful mechanics.

Aside from attacking, jumping, and basic types of motion, Alucard is inherently able to perform a downward flying-kick and a back-dash. While the downward kick is rarely used, the back-dash (activated by only one button press) is an often-employed method of evading enemy attacks. Since it is faster than walking, players sometimes back-dash as a means of travel throughout flat areas of the castle. Another use of the back-dash is attack cancelling, a technique common in fighting games; by activating the dash just after an attack lands, Alucard's attack animation is cut short, which allows him to bypass the attack's recovery animation and instead perform another action. Evasive dash moves appear in later Igarashi-produced Castlevania titles.

Symphony of the Night utilizes directional input combinations (also originally from fighting games) as a means of performing special moves. Most of Alucard's magic is cast by performing directional input combinations followed by button presses - for example, to cast Hellfire, one would press Up, Down, Down-forward, Forward + Attack. The movesets of Richter and Maria are also dependent on directional input combinations.

[edit] Weapons

While Castlevania's protagonists have traditionally used whips, Alucard's repertoire is mostly based on edged weapons - typically swords and knives. Knuckles and expendable items (such as smart bombs) are less common finds. Richter uses the traditional Vampire Killer whip, while Maria uses energy projectiles; neither may change their main weapon.

As in previous Castlevania titles, characters can use a variety of subweapons (alternate weapons that consume hearts) found in various places throughout the castle. These include traditional types from earlier games, such as axes, crosses, and holy water. An ability carried over from Dracula X, known as "item crash", allows either Richter or Maria to perform a more powerful special move based on their current sub weapon. Item crashes typically have more spectacular effects than standard subweapon attacks and consume many more hearts. In addition, it also kept the ability to regain your previous subweapon if you accidentally picked up one you dislike; a dreaded event in previous games, especially if you had a double or triple shot upgrade. Subweapons have different effects depending on which character the player is using.

The Saturn version of the game contains some exclusive weapons and items, including Alucard's spear, and a wieldable axe.

During its localization, some of the game's weapons received strange translations based on figures from fantasy literature or mythology, such as the Fist of Tulkas (named after Tulkas the Vala<--"Valar" is plural-->, from the works of J. R. R. Tolkien), Mourneblade (named after and based on the sword Mournblade from Michael Moorcock's Elric saga), The Sword of Dawn (named after and based on the Sword of the Dawn from the Hawkmoon series, also by Michael Moorcock), Tyrfing (named after the cursed sword from Norse mythology), Marsil (inspired by Narsil from Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings), Thunderbrand (described as "the lightning sword of Indra"), The Ring of Fëanor (named after the king of the Noldor elves in Tolkien's The Silmarillion), Terminus Est from Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun and various others.

[edit] RPG elements

Growth elements such as character equipment and experience levels were not included in Castlevania games for some time after the release of Castlevania II: Simon's Quest for the NES (1987). As Simon's Quest was not very successful, the series instead became focused on mostly straightforward action gaming. A decade later, Symphony of the Night reintroduced RPG elements into the series in the style that was popular at the time (attribute-based stats, item drops). In one form or another, these growth elements have since become a mainstay mechanic of the Castlevania franchise. The "old-fashioned" style of gameplay is still included in some titles, often as an "extra" mode or reward for completing the game. The quests of Richter and Maria fulfill this role in Symphony of the Night.

Alucard is able to enlist the help of familiars (provided that the player can locate the item needed to summon one). Familiars function as complementary entities in the game world; they attack and use their special abilities while following Alucard around, and also gain levels as Alucard gathers experience points. The level of the familiar determines its behavior, as well as what special moves it can use. The North American version of the game includes the Faerie, Demon, Ghost, Bat, and Sword familiars. The original Japanese version of the game included the Tengu (functionally identical to the Demon, but with a large nose commonly associated with the Tengu. Due to this trait, it is sometime reffered to as "Nose demon") and Pixie (functionally identical to the Faerie; the kanji literal translate as Half Faerie) familiars as well.<ref>SotN: Foreign Release Info. The Castlevania Dungeon. Retrieved on 2006-05-19.</ref>

[edit] Plot

[edit] Setting and characters

See also: List of Castlevania characters

The game like its predecessor Akumajou Dracula X, continues to take place in Romania. In the previous game, a lot of time was spent traveling the country side of Romania on the journey to Castlevania; this game takes place entirely within the castle except for a very short intro with Alucard entering the castle from the outside forest, and in the endings.

Castlevania keeps its archaic and gothic feel along with many of the traditional monster that have been seen in previous games. In particular, many new monsters that were introduced in Akumajou Dracula X reappear looking exactly as they did in the previous game. The castle itself shifts in scenery, and encompasses many of the more traditional stages found in the other titles, such as a underground passage, chapel, and the infamous clock tower. It is also worth noting, that a few of the areas in the game strongly resemble areas in Akumajou Dracula X, such as the clock tower, castle entrance, and Dracula's tower. The area under Dracula's tower also resemble where Richter fought Dracula in the Super NES remake of Akumajou Dracula X titled Castlevania: Dracula X.

In the second half of the game, Alucard enters into the reverse (upside-down) castle, where the scenery takes on a more bizarre nature. Such things as water, furniture, and even a waterfall that use be on the floor (now ceiling) defy gravity and continue to remain that way. Also in this reverse castle, stronger and more bizarre enemies appear such as Cthulhu, Yorick, and a zombie Dodo. Many of the games previous bosses in the normal castle appear as normal enemies in this area also.

Symphony of the Night features a recurring Castlevania cast consisting of Alucard, the son of Dracula, the Belmont heir Richter, his in-law Maria Renard and count Dracula who serves as the principal antagonist.

[edit] Story

The game's story takes place during the year 1797, five years after the events of Akumajou Dracula X. The story unfolds as Richter Belmont defeats Count Dracula at the end of the previous games timeline. However, four years later Richter vanishes and is later revealed to be under the control of the ghost of dark priest Shaft, who was slain in the previous game. Richter claims lordship of Castlevania, which, in this installment, is revealed to be a malevolent entity under Chaos' sway that alters itself internally to confuse invaders with each reincarnation.

The shift in the power of good and evil causes the son of Dracula, Alucard, to awaken from his self-induced sleep. Not fully aware of what is happening, he sees that Castlevania has reassembled itself, and so heads there to find out what is happening. This is where the game begins, with Alucard deciding to brave his father's cursed realm, meanwhile Maria Renard also ventures into Castlevania to find Richter. The two eventually meet up and help one another throughout the game.

[edit] Development

Symphony of the Night is presented via 2D visuals, mainly sprites animated over scrolling backgrounds, with effects such as rotation and scaling being used liberally. Sprites range in size, from quite small, to filling an entire screen (bosses such as Galamoth). For backgrounds, Parallax effects attempt to simulate depth, and can be observed in many areas throughout the game.

Occasionally, the 3D capabilities of the PlayStation attempt to embellish the largely 2D world. For example - cloudy skies in the Holy Chapel area are rendered as 3D textures moving towards the player's perspective, and a polygonal clock tower visible from the Castle Keep rotates as the player moves. Enemies and spells also sometimes render 3D elements as part of their special animations. As was popular at the time (1997), the game contains some short FMV sequences that mostly showcase the castle from different angles.

There is a hidden passage at the beginning of the castle. Presumably, this is an unfinished section that would have led to the Underground Gardens (apparent in the Saturn version). The area can be accessed by starting a game as Richter, entering the castle, and quickly dashing back as the gate door closes.<ref>The Castlevania Dungeon - SotN Weirdness. The Castlevania Dungeon. Retrieved on 2006-11-17.</ref>

[edit] Character design

Symphony of the Night marks the first appearance of artist Ayami Kojima in the video game industry. Kojima's role in the game's production was that of character designer, specifically tasked with conceptualizing the game's main and supporting cast in a unique way. Her designs for Symphony of the Night borrow heavily from bishonen-style art. These illustrations proved popular amongst the Castlevania fanbase, which prompted similar bishonen-style designs to be done by Kojima for later titles.

While Kojima's style continues to enjoy success in the Castlevania franchise, it was notably excluded from Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (2005), which features simpler, anime-style designs. In an interview with game development website Gamasutra, Producer Koji Igarashi explains the new aesthetic as an attempt to attract a younger audience to the franchise.<ref>Whip Smart: Konami's Koji Igarashi On Mastering Castlevania. gamasutra.com. Retrieved on 2006-05-06.</ref>

[edit] Japanese and english versions

The boss, Count Olrox is called Oorokku (オーロック, Oorokku^?) in the Japanese version. Orlock is the vampire from the classic vampire film, Nosferatu. In the North American version, the prologue sequence is called "Bloodlines". However, Bloodlines is neither the name of the level nor the name of the game it came from. In the Japanese version this part is correctly called "Rondo of Blood", tying the game back to its predecessor, Akumajou Dracula X. This game has not been released outside of Japan. The Japanese version of SoTN employed a graphic of a Crucifix (i.e. an image of Jesus crucified on the cross) when using the "Holy Cross" item in an Item Crash. Oddly given the era of its release, this appears in the US/NTSC version as well. In addition the English version of the game shows a crucifix at the GAME OVER screen. Incidentally, the original voice sample was "Grand Cross" instead of "Holy Cross" in the Japanese version.

[edit] Reception

Although it received limited funding for its North American production, and was not a major success from a business perspective, Symphony of the Night proved to be a massive critical and public success, and the game eventually went on to join other popular Playstation games in the coveted Greatest Hits line of re-released best selling Playstation games.<ref>The History of Castlevania. gamespot.com. Retrieved on 2006-05-06.</ref>

During the game's release in 1997, the overwhelming trend in console videogaming was that of progression towards 3D graphics. Thanks to the powerful new hardware found in fifth generation consoles, well-established gaming franchises such as Mario and Final Fantasy received highly successful 3D facelifts, while 2D games began to fall out of favor with publishers as it was speculated that they would no longer sell.

In 1998, Symphony of the Night was awarded Game of the Year by Electronic Gaming Monthly. Recently, it placed 16th on IGN's Top 100 Games of All Time.<ref> Top 100 games of All Time (2005). ign.com. Retrieved on 2006-05-06.</ref>

[edit] Music

Main article: Dracula X: Nocturne in the Moonlight OST

Symphony of the Night was scored by Michiru Yamane, composer of Castlevania: Bloodlines.

[edit] References

[edit] See also

• List of Castlevania characters
• List of Castlevania games

[edit] External links

General resources

• Quebec Gamers - Images & videos of the exclusives areas in the Sega Saturn version
• Castlevania: Symphony of the Night at GameFAQs
• Castlevania: Symphony of the Night at MobyGames
• The CastleVania Dungeon's SotN section

Videos

• Speed runs at Speed Demos Archive

Other

• Castlevania Wiki
• VGCritics Review

fr:Castlevania: Symphony of the Night ja:悪魔城ドラキュラX 月下の夜想曲 pt:Castlevania: Symphony of the Night